I give up. I never should have bought that Intermatic DT500CL digital self
adjusting timer!
I just want to get that out there because I'd hate to see another person
have to go through the frustration I have every time it needs to be reset.
Why do they make settings of a simple clock timer so complicated anyway?

If you had trouble with that, then stay away from digital lawn
sprinkler timers, too. When my 30 year old analog, mechanical timer
broke, I thought a new digital model would be a good replacement. OMG
what a nightmare. I think I could have more easily setup a Space
Shuttle launch !

I have the same timer. The simplest I can distill the if/then/else
instructions to is to assume you simply want the timer to turn on every
single day at 8:30 pm and to turn off at 2am ever morning.
- Plug the Intermatic DT500CL digital timer in for 24 hours; otherwise it
acts erratically
- Write down the day of the week (assume today is Saturday) and time
(assume 5:00 pm); you'll need this when you have only five seconds to enter
it properly
- Press the reset button momentarily with a paperclip; otherwise we can't
start from the same starting point
- Turn the wheel to the current hour (5 PM); and press the ON button
- Turn the wheel to the current minute (00); and press the ON button
- Turn the wheel to the current day (SA); and press the ON button
- Turn the wheel to the MO/TU/WE/TH/FR/SA/SU mode; and press the ON button
(at this point, do not use any of the other available modes or all hell
will break loose)
- Make sure the time is showing (for some reason, when the time is not
showing, all other steps fail)
- Press and hold the event button for exactly two seconds; wait until you
see dashes in the LCD screen
- Release the event button only when you see your day of week choice
(remember, it was all days of the week, MO/TU/WE/TH/FR/SA/SU); releasing at
any other time will cause the programming to fail
- At this point, you should see a flashing pixel at the 12 o'clock position
of the dial; do not press any buttons or your programming will fail
- Turn the wheel to the time to turn the light on; notice you have no
option to turn it off at 2am; you must turn it on at 8pm
- Once the dial says 8pm, press and this time hold down the ON button and
now turn the wheel to the time you want the lights to go off, say 2am on
the next day (I don't remember if it will let you go to the next day or
not)
- Once you're at the 2am mark to turn off the lights, release the ON button
(if I remember correctly, I had to turn it off at midnight and then the
next day turn it on at one minute after midnight in order to cross the
midnight point in the programming)
- Press the EVENT button (I'm not sure why but this is how you "close" out
the programming); remember, this is the SIMPLEST you can program anything
reasonable (i.e., every day do the same thing)
- You're forced to now navigate the RANDOM feature, whether you want to or
not; you'll see the word RANDOM flashing; and the display will also be
flashing; basically the whole thing will be flashing; just press the ON
button (whether you want RANDOM or not); depending on whether you hit the
flashing of the word RANDOM at the right point, it will either be in random
mode or not (which is + or - fifteen minutes of the start and stop time).
- To close it all out, simply hit the TIME button.
That's it. If you're lucky, you'll have it programmed to turn on and off at
the same time every day, and it won't take you more than fifteen or twenty
minutes to get it right.

Read the reviews on Amazon for the Intermatic DT500CL and you'll not find a
single person who recommends it out of those who bought it!
(Amazon.com product link shortened)
The way more complicated version of an analog timer, December 7, 2008
By K. Park (Sunnyvale, CA)
This review is from: Intermatic DT500CL 10 Amp Indoor Digital Timer, White
(Tools & Hardware)
Don't waste your time with this timer. At first glance it seems cool with
the clockface and the side scroll wheel. Even though it is digital, you
cannot enter exact times (e.g. 6:45). You just mark the approximate
location on the clockface for when to start and stop. So basically, this is
the digital equivalent of the analog timers where you slot in the pegs. But
at least the analog timers are way cheaper and easier to use. I had to
study the instructions to figure out how to set the times. If you want a
digital timer, get the DT300 or the DT121 instead.
Don't Bother with This, March 8, 2009
By Ragtop Girl
This review is from: Intermatic DT500CL 10 Amp Indoor Digital Timer, White
(Tools & Hardware)
I would give this negative stars if I could. I've used digital timers for
years and am pretty good at operating them. This one is the most difficult
I have ever used and I will be replacing it.
Poor programming interface.., January 17, 2010
By Eric Schiff (Syracuse, NY USA)
This review is from: Intermatic DT500CL 10 Amp Indoor Digital Timer, White
(Tools & Hardware)
After about 30 minutes of playing with this device and reading the manual,
I concluded that I'd rather discard it than waste more time with it. This
agrees with most earlier reviewers. A poor interface design from a
generally reliable company.
Not for someone who wants to skip the instructions, November 24, 2009
By C. M. Carroll "JAF3BDR" (Florida)
This review is from: Intermatic DT500CL 10 Amp Indoor Digital Timer, White
(Tools & Hardware)
Buy if you need a two-prong, weekday / weekend, 10A timer. Otherwise, go
with the DT620, a grounded, 15A unit. With considerable practice, you'll
acquire the 500's completely counter-intuitive programing steps. However,
the 620 has a vastly larger menu of useful choices and parallels the norms
of other electronic timer programing steps. Why the 620's firmware couldn't
have been used with this hardware is a mystery. The prior unit model (the
DT500CH vs. ..500CL) was so successful, Intermatic has it on one-third
clearance at their Intermatic Store website.
Maddeningly non-intuitive, May 14, 2009
By Clear-eyed (GA, USA)
This review is from: Intermatic DT500CL 10 Amp Indoor Digital Timer, White
(Tools & Hardware)
Once you get this monster programmed, it works like a champ. I especially
like the battery back-up, in case the power goes out when I'm out of town.
But programming it is really a bear. The instructions don't explain how to
make a programming change "stick" -- you have to press the Event button
again after changing the settings. I finally wrote this on the instruction
sheet so that I can change the time on the timer in less than 1/2 hour and
with fewer cuss words.

Log in

HomeOwnersHub.com is a website for homeowners and building and maintenance pros. It is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.